By NELSON MORIAS

Staff Writer

Seasonal campers at Kinser Park extolled the virtues Tuesday of living at the park to some of the officials ultimately responsible for continued -- or curtailed -- funding of the park with city and county funding.

The occasion was a mostly-cordial monthly meeting of the Kinser Park Commission, held at pavilion number 3 of the partially taxpayer-supported park.

The Greene County Commission's Budget & Finance Committee is reviewing all of the county's budgets, including money allocated for Kinser Park, for the 2008-09 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The Kinser Park Commission, which operates the park as a joint venture between Greeneville and Greene County, is seeking a $30,000 contribution from the county government for the 2008-09 fiscal year.

The city and county have each provided $20,000 a year in funding to the park, an amount that has not changed in the last five or six years, according to Kinser Park Commissioner Fay Byrd.

Attending Tuesday's outdoor meeting were three members of the park commission who hold other offices: Greeneville Alderman Laraine King, who will take office next week as Greeneville's new mayor; Phil King, a county commissioner and member of the budget committee; and Sam Riley, also a county commissioner.

Park 'So Family-Oriented'

Teresa Fann, a permanent camper at Kinser Park since 2001, said of the park, "It's really so family-oriented." She added, "I don't see a need to make people move (out) when there are so many open sites."

Johnny Gregg, the park's manager, told the Kinser Park commissioners that "with gas prices going up, we've seen a drop-off from last year to this year" in the number of short-term campers who usually visit the park on weekends. He added, "It seems to be slowing."

Gregg said that in 2007, for the 34 weekends that the park was open, the park was filled only seven of those weekends, typically on holidays such as the Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Seasonal camper Patsy Gass said, "The people here are more like family," not transient campers who might be strangers to each other for only a few days of camping. She added, "This park is a good park and it deserves a fair treatment."

When questioned by Riley, King said he believed the county would continue to help finance Kinser Park, although perhaps at an amount lower than the requested $30,000.

Water, Electrical Power Meters?

Gass said she did not mind if water and electrical power meters were installed at each campsite, but added, "It's been tried before. (This time) we need someone who knows how to read the meters."

Debbie Bell, a seasonal camper, said she uses the park with her four children, and would be willing to pay more for the water she uses. She noted, however, that her children already support the park in other areas. "They'll be here paying to swim and use the waterslide," she said.

Before opening the meeting to the 15 campers who waited patiently at picnic tables under the pavilion for their turn to speak, the Kinser Park commissioners accepted a letter of resignation delivered earlier in the day from Phil Fillers to chairman Bob Schubel, who read the brief letter.

Fillers was a community at-large member of the Kinser Park commission. He told The Greeneville Sun this mornng that after being on the commission about 18 months, he felt it was time "to give someone else the chance" to serve on it.

Commissioners also approved a motion to repair a backhoe, at an estimated cost of about $500-$700.

Uniform Colors Adopted

The park's commissioners also agreed on a uniform color code of beige/brown for the exterior of all buildings at Kinser Park.

Park manager Gregg said he would like to paint two old bathhouses (with a total of two women's bathrooms and two men's bathrooms) later this year, after the grass-mowing season ends and he has more time to devote to painting both their interiors and exteriors.

In response to a question from Gass, a seasonal camper, Gregg said if a prospective short-term camper refuses to camp at a spot offered to them by the park, their name goes to the bottom of the park's waiting list.

Seasonal camper Eldridge King said he was concerned about "a bit of a health problem. Poison ivy is getting out of hand." He said he was particularly concerned about children inadvertently coming into contact with poison ivy. "We need something to spray it with and knock it back," he said. Officials said they would look into the problem to remedy it.

Seasonal Campers Pay $750

Seasonal campers can stay a maximum of 74 days at the park at a cost of $750, or stay longer and incur additional charges, according to Joe Bowman, assistant park manager.

The park has 130 seasonal campsites with full utilities hook-ups. It also has 20 short-term, non-seasonal sites, also with full hook-up, for "weekenders," so called because when they camp, it's usually on weekends, according to park manager Gregg.

The park is open approximately seven months out of the year, from about April 1 - Oct. 31.